The Family Garden is changing gears for the foodie crowd, jumping from Sweet and Stinky to an equally (and pungently) delightful delicacy. You’ve probably been there: the corner deli clerk plucks a zeppelin-sized pickle from that greenish jug of brine on the counter, you set into it with a crunch, and your pastrami sandwich is suddenly transcendent. You’re likely thinking it would take a family history in the pickling business, not to mention a wealth of time, to make something so delicious. But, with a little practice, you’ll prove yourself wrong!

Putting together the perfect balance of spices and other flavoring blends is where time and imagination come into play. Otherwise, the brining process is about as easy as packing up leftovers! A few clean jars, a selection of fresh cucumbers, and a handful of other easily-attainable ingredients. It’s so simple you can pick it up during an afternoon “Pickle Me!” session, now running through August 17 in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, from 1:30 to 5:30* p.m. daily. You won’t even need your grandmother’s chilly cellar to let your pickles prepare; with our recipe, the refrigerator will suit just fine.
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Asian longhorned beetles (ALB) are many things, but picky eaters isn’t one of them. It’s part of the reason they’re now such persistent pests throughout the northern United States. Worse, they’re approaching something of an outright pestilence. These non-native invaders are mincing maple populations, trashing elms, making a buffet of poplars and will happily bore into a wide menu of other tree genera! But thanks to a partnership with the Sentinel Plant Network, a USDA-funded collaboration between North American public gardens and other concerned groups, the NYBG is proud to serve as one of a number of “watchposts” striving to counter the menace through safe, effective means. That’s where our bug traps come in.

Native to Japan, China, and Korea, Anoplophora glabripennis first made its U.S. presence known in 1996. Soon after, it was found in Canada, France, Italy, Germany, and a slew of other countries less than welcoming of their newest guests. By the time authorities concluded that hardwood shipping crates were to blame, it was too late to shut the door: the beetles were already reproducing, boring into trees to lay their eggs. Upon hatching, the larvae then ravage the trees further, feasting on bark and inner wood. And 16 years later, the hunt continues for a fool-proof means of eradicating the ALB from American forests.
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Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen